Atlantic City, New Jersey (March , 2020) — “Let Us Eat, Please” and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey hosted the 6th annual Captain’s Table Reception at the Progressive Insurance Atlantic City Boat Show on Thursday, February 27. Guests enjoyed the creations of more than a two dozen chefs from South Jersey’s most acclaimed restaurants, sipped spirits, enjoyed live music, and toured the boats, yachts and other watercrafts at the exhibit.
This fundraising event was held for the benefit of 22,000 schoolchildren in Atlantic County who depend on free or reduced-price meals in school and are left without food when school is not is session. The ‘Let Us Eat, Please’ program started when Jim Cooper, a retired attorney and founding partner of the firm, now known as Cooper Levenson, learned from his daughter that her students sometimes go hungry during the summer because they don’t have the benefit of free or reduced-price meals at school during summer break. Cooper found this unacceptable and decided to do something about it. Starting with just one school district three years ago, the ‘Let Us Eat, Please’ program expanded each year to include additional school districts. Every two weeks over the course of the summer, families, identified by the school as needing assistance, receive a 30 pound box of groceries, valued at more than $40, at no cost to them. It’s made possible by the dedication of Jim and his many friends and supporters, including the new ‘Let Us Eat, Please’ Chairman of the Board, Kenneth J. Calemmo, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of Cooper Levenson. Calemmo conceived and spearheaded the Captain’s Table fundraiser at the Progressive Insurance Atlantic City Boat Show in 2015, which has now grown to an attendance of nearly 700. The event raised more than $65,000.
Bringing food, help and hope, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey has been fighting hunger and poverty for over 30 years through feeding programs, employment training, nutrition education, and food distribution. More than 40 million pounds of food and groceries is distributed annually to nearly 1,200 partner charities in New Jersey.. These charities include emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, temporary shelters, and programs for seniors and children in need including, Let Us Eat – Please. Both organizations rely on the generosity of supporters to help feed those who would otherwise go hungry. To read more about Let Us Eat – Please, Inc. and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, go to www.LetUsEatPlease.org and www.cfbnj.org.
